The Perks of Being a Red Blood
by ElphieThroppDG28
Summary: This is another one of my guinea pigs, so REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED! Eloise Garrison is always in the shadows, hiding, not really interfering. But when her friend and longtime crush, Oliver, gets involved, she may have a reason to fight. ON HIATUS.
1. Sound Recording

The Perks of Being a Red Blood

Alrighty, here's the deal. Plot bunnies are evil, Blue Bloods is awesome, and I don't know why it isn't a movie series yet.

This is a pilot right now, like a pilot TV episode. If it goes over well, I'll continue. If not...at least I tried.

Yes, there's an OC. No, she's not a Blue Blood (hence the title). Yes, she's a conduit to a canon character. No, it's not a main canon character.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Everything belongs to Melissa de la Cruz.

DISCLAIMER...AGAIN: For the following pilot, I will be using one of the "audio recordings" excerpts from the third book Revelations. I don't own it. It was written by Ms. de la Cruz. I've changed it a bit - just a little bit - to fit the story.

DISCLAIMER...ONCE MORE: The title I got from the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I don't own it, or the movie.

More about my OC: Well, you'll have to read to figure it out. ;)

Enjoy!

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><p>AUDIO RECORDINGS ARCHIVE:<p>

Repository of History

_Alright. Now she just had to find..._

CONDUIT: Hazard-Perry, Oliver

POSITION: Van Alen family

Personal Report yet to be properly filed

_Bingo._

_Eloise Garrison knew she shouldn't be doing this. She was abusing her power as a Conduit and a librarian by doing this. But she didn't care. She had to know._

_She brought the sound recording over to her laptop and popped it in. She put on her headphones, bracing herself for what she was about to hear._

Schuyler will tell you that I had no choice on the matter.

_Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't heard his voice in so long..._

_She chastised herself. She shouldn't be worrying about herself right now._

She believes that I love her because I have to, or because I had no choice, but she's wrong. She gives herself too much credit sometimes.

_Well, that was true. Eloise didn't know Schuyler Van Alen very well, but she knew enough from Oliver._

I knew what we were doing, when we did the_ Caerimonia_. I knew exactly what it meant.

_Did he? Did he really? Did he realize that while he hurt himself emotionally, he hurt her, as well? She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes, forcing herself to continue to listen._

More importantly I knew she didn't feel the same way about me. I've known that for a very long time. Do you think I'm stupid?

_That was exactly what she thought. They had known each other forever, a lot earlier than his life as Schuyler's Conduit. And he still didn't know that Eloise was in love with him. He was absolutely clueless._

So why did I do it?

_She'd love to hear the answer. _

I don't know. I wasn't going to. In my defense, I had told her no the first time.

_He had? This was new. __She hadn't realized he'd refused her at first. _

We were sitting there in that hotel room, and she was sitting on my lap, and it felt nice, you know. Being so close to her. Yeah, I guess it felt great.

_She felt a pain in her chest, and then the tears came. She didn't need to hear about how he loved her. She knew it already. He didn't exactly make it inconspicuous. _

_Then again, she thought, smiling bitterly, neither did she._

I don't want to get into it - I'm not a suck-and-tell kind of guy.

_She cracked a small smile. Oliver never failed to insert some sort of humor into any situation._

She thinks I've been in love with her since we were kids, or since I first laid eyes on er, or some other romantic crap.

_She frowned. So it wasn't true._

But it wasn't like that. We were friends. We got along. I liked the way she thinks. Liked the sound of her laugh. Liked how she dressed - in all those dark layers. What was she hiding from?

_She couldn't deny it: Schuyler _was _a very mysterious person. She didn't try to draw attention to herself, but somehow it seemed to follow her around. Eloise couldn't hold that against her._

Did I think she was beautiful? I'm not blind, am I? Of course I thought she was beautiful.

_Of course he did. Everyone thought she was beautiful, whether they liked it or not. She was gorgeous - and she hated her for it._

But it was more than that - I liked that she used to wear this ugly shade of blue eyeshadow - girls think guys don't notice stuff like makeup, but we do - and it would get all cakey and smudged at the end of the day. She would have these huge raccoon eyes, and she wouldn't even notice...I don't know. I was charmed.

_He was right. Guys didn't notice that sort of thing...at least, the "normal" guys didn't. She knew Oliver noticed it. She'd heard him rave about it enough. Like right then. She found herself hating Schuyler even more._

But I didn't feel that way about her back then. Not even in eighth grade when we had to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance together and she asked me to be her date, and we spent the evening sitting in a corner making fun of everyone. We didn't dance once, and she wore this hideous, baggy dress. No, I wasn't in love with her then.

_She remembered that dance. That was the night she really noticed him, wearing a bright blue tuxedo and a frilly tie. She had thought he'd never looked more handsome. She had politely conversed her date, but she found herself longing to join Oliver and Schuyler, maybe even ask him to dance. But she hadn't been brave enough._

_That was her problem. She was afraid of rejection. Ever since the Valentine's dance in sixth grade, when Johnny Walker fell out of his chair in shock when she'd asked him to dance with her. His friends had laughed, and he'd gone to the nurse's office. He glared at her for the rest of the school year, blaming her for the temporary bump on his head._

_She was so immersed in her memories that she almost missed what the recording said next._

I fell in love with her when she found out she was a vampire. Just a few months ago.

_What? It hadn't been that long ago?_

When she accepted her heritage and didn't flinch from her destiny. Because you know who she's supposed to be, right?

_She didn't need to be reminded. Everyone knew what she was._

I mean, Gabrielle's daughter. Heavy stuff.

_No duh._

She's so strong it scares me. I wasn't lying when I told her that.

_Again...no duh._

So, yeah - again, you're asking me why I did it.

_Yes, she was still curious. If he knew the consequences, why would he succumb to that?_

Why I let her take my blood, let her mark me was her own. Do that whole "familiar" thing. All that jazz.

_The tears were coming again. She hated how he put it. She hated the effects of the Sacred Kiss, especially when she thought of Oliver. He'd be Schuyler's forever, always bound to her blood. Sure, she was selfish; she wasn't going to deny it. She hated that her chances with him had been all but destroyed. But Oliver wasn't allowed to live his life now; it revolved around Schuyler now. _

_She felt that hot anger rising within her again._

I don't even know why I bother with these reports. Who's listening to them, anyway?

_Eloise was. She hated how he always assumed no one cared. She did. She always had._

_She always would._

Anyway, I guess the truth of the matter was, I didn't want her to have to do it with someone else.

_Well, that made sense. Schuyler didn't have any other friends to perform it on._

I didn't want to share.

_Oh...so that's how it was. He really thought he could keep her from everyone else, could he?_

She was already so different from me, changing already. She is different. She's going to live forever, while I'm only going to get to go around once.

_She felt the anger slowly ebb away, filling her up with pity, understanding._

I wanted to hold on.

_She nodded, forgetting she was listening to a recording and not sitting face-to-face with her friend._

Because yeah, I do love her.

_And it all came crashing back into her face._

I loved her when she came to me that night at The Bank. When she was looking for me and was so relieved to see me. When she accepted everything I told her, and she didn't even freak out that much when I told her I already knew. That I was her Conduit.

_He had kept so much from her...why? Would he have told all that to Schuyler? Was she automatically better because she was a Blue Blood?_

That's why, when I'm done with this recording, I'm taking the next plane out of the city to Rio.

_WHAT?_

Yeah, Bliss told me what was going on. Do you think I would let her go there alone? You're kidding, right?

_She'd hoped he was...but, sadly, she had a sinking feel he was telling the truth._

But if you think I'm walking into this blind, you're wrong. I knew being her familiar wouldn't change anything.

_She blinked, surprised. He'd known that? And...he had gone through with it, anyway?_

I knew that even if she knew I was in love with her, it wouldn't change how she felt about me.

_A new batch of unwanted tears had started._

I knew I would lose her in the end.

_Oh, Oliver..._

_That had to be one of the sweetest things she'd ever heard. _

What do I think of Jack Force? I don't. I don't think much of him.

_Well, so much for touching. She had a feeling what Oliver was about to say wouldn't be very flattering on Jack's part._

Just another guy who think's he's God's gift to Earth.

_It was true. Mimi certainly acted that way, and Jack...well...was a little harder to read, but was probably just as bad as his twin._

In his case, probably literally.

_She bit back a giggle._

But, you know - he's irrelevant to me. He just doesn't factor in. Even if they end up together, which I high doubt given the strength of that particular bond - Mimi is no joke, I wouldn't mess around with Azrael - but even if Schuyler still loves him, or thinks she does, it doesn't matter.

_So that's what this was all about. Oliver was still jealous of Jack. That wasn't a secret._

Because Jack is going to leave her one day. I know he will. He's too much for Schuyler. They're wrong for each other. Anyone can see that.

_Oliver's tone of voice sounded so...final. It frightened her._

And when he leaves her, I'll be there.

_He had to be joking. He wasn't serious._

However long it takes, I'll still be there for her.

_He meant as a friend...he couldn't throw his life away for one girl._

Waiting.

_That bastard._

So I guess Schuyler's wrong. I guess I'm a pretty romantic guy after all.

_The audio stopped after that. Eloise ripped the headphones off her head, trying not to cry any more than she already had. _

_There was no way she could change his mind. Schuyler had claimed him, and she didn't even appreciate how kind he was, how sweet...and cute..._

_She quickly stood up, turning off her MacBook. She pulled out her cellphone, pressing the number 2 on her speed dial._

_"Lucy? Could you cover for me for a few days?...I'm going to Rio."_

* * *

><p><em>Eloise wasn't a genius when it came to technology. She still hadn't figured out the right way to turn off her laptop. Which is why, in a rush to get back home to pack, instead of powering it off, she had pressed the "play" button on the sound recording she'd forgotten to put back. Which is why she didn't hear the second part of the recording.<em>

You want to know about Eloise Garrison? What about her? Schuyler said something, didn't she? I keep telling her to forget it...

Well, here's the deal: I've known Ellie all my life...longer than Schuyler, actually. She's been my friend since we were two years old. Our families have always been close, being Conduits and all.

Of course, we had to go separate ways, eventually. She's the Conduit of Lucy Forbes, who runs in Mimi Force's crowd. So of course I can't talk to her as much as I used to. But we'll find time once in a while to catch up.

Um...what else do you want to know? You know, Schuyler really shouldn't be making her out to be my girlfriend. Because she's not. Schuyler has it in her head that we'd be perfect together or something.

Personally, I don't see it. I mean, she's really short - shorter than Schuyler. I'm almost a whole foot taller than her. Which isn't a bad thing, I guess...

And she loves to read; she spends more time with her nose in a book than talking to actual people. She's right at home in the Repository...that's the only time I really get to see her. When we're doing research here, I mean. We usually spend our shifts cataloging books and talking about anything and everything...

And, you know, she's got really pretty hair. Not as pretty as Schuyler's, of course, but...it's this really dark copper color, not as red as Bliss's, but not as brown as mine. And she's got this really cute band of freckles on her nose. And her eyes...granted, they're not as gorgeous as Schuyler's. But they're this nice shade of sea-glass blue.

And...now that I think about it...she's actually a very pretty girl. I mean, compared to Schuyler, there's no choice for me. But...I think...maybe if I wasn't in love with Schuyler...not to say that I don't enjoy it, because I do! But I guess I can see where she's coming from...I think I could see myself with Ellie. I think it could work.

Although that'd be impossible, at this point. But maybe if things weren't the way they were...maybe I'd be interested.

I'm not saying I am. I'm saying maybe.

And I wouldn't change the way things are right now. I'm perfectly fine.

But I think I should probably check up on Ellie. I haven't seen her in a while...

Shit. You just heard all that, didn't you?

Damn it.


	2. Eloise's Letter

_Hey, all! I've already gotten two reviews for this! Thanks so much for the feedback! :D_

_Here's another preview for all of you who are reading. The reason I'm posting this so fast (and the reason it's another preview) is because this was actually meant for another fanfic of mine (Through the Looking-Glass of Max's Mind, the companion to My Little Wild Thing, if you wanna check them out). But as I was rereading it, I thought it might be better suited for this story. So I modified it, and here it is!_

_WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. If you have not read Misguided Angel or Bloody Valentine, then I suggest you not read this. It kinda gives stuff away. (Speaking of that, I haven't read Lost in Time yet...so if you review and you have, PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYTHING!) _

_DISCLAIMER: Don't own it...wish I did._

_Context (SPOILERS): This takes place during Oliver's story in Bloody Valentine. After helping Mimi with her quest to find the vampire kidnapper, he starts to turn to alcohol, and even goes to a blood house (a place where ditched familiars go to be fed on by random vampires). During his slump, he meets a witch named Freya, and she cures him of his heartbreak (and also manages to lure him to bed, which I didn't really appreciate, but that's just my opinion). Freya is part of a new series Melissa de la Cruz is writing, called Witches of East End._

_Eloise, obviously, is absolutely stricken by how Oliver has been acting, as well as hurt by how he pushes her away when she tries to help. She's also jealous of Schuyler, and a little of Freya, as well, because Oliver is turning to her instead of someone he knows well. This is a letter she writes him, and just as it's the deciding point for Ellie, it's a deciding point for me if I should continue. So review, review, review, dear readers! ;)_

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><p>Dear Oliver,<p>

How could you?

Did you honestly think that shutting me away was the best solution? What are you accomplishing from this? Is this your way of telling me that you don't need me anymore? That we're not friends? That Freya's a better companion for you?

It doesn't matter what you thought. By the time you read this, I'll have made my choice. I'm going to give you the space you so obviously want. If you didn't want my help, you could have said so nicely. You didn't have to lash out at me. Then again, I highly doubt you did that with Freya. I guess you'll always pick someone over me, and I need to accept that.

That's what you wanted, wasn't it? For everything to fall apart? For me to take a hint? For you to depend on alcohol to heal you? For you to give yourself to some crazy, sadistic vampire because Schuyler abandoned you? Congratulations. It's happened. You're a wreck, Oliver. You've turned into someone I don't recognize.

You've taken away my best friend.

Maybe you don't care about what happened when we were little, but I do. What happened to the little boy who wanted nothing more than to spend our sleepovers telling jokes and laughing? What happened to the times we went to the park, or drew pictures, or just talked about what was going on?

What happened to us? What went wrong? I hope you have the answer, because I don't.

I don't know what I did to upset you that much, and I don't think I ever will. Again, it's probably my problem. I'm not a half-blood, and I'm not a witch (yes, I know about that). I'm just a Conduit. So I guess I'm sorry for not living up to your ungodly-high expectations on women. I'm sorry for just being normal. But that's never good enough for you, is it?

I would never try to do anything to hurt you. You know that. Or do you? Because it seems like you forgot, or otherwise I wouldn't be writing this. I'm just not sure.

And the thing is…I'm not sure of a lot of things in this life anymore.

But I do hope you never regret the path you've chosen. You didn't have to be Schuyler's familiar, you didn't have to send her to Europe with Jack, you didn't have to depend on alcohol, you didn't have to go to the blood house, and you didn't have to be seduced by Freya (I know about that, as well). But you did. It seems to me you're a lot better off this way than you were. So good job. You really hit it big this time.

I'm sorry to end it this way. But you know me: Eloise, the prude, the quiet girl who's so traditional. But I don't hang out with drunks. And I don't treat my friends that way.

You may think I'm being harsh. Go ahead and think that. This is how I'm feeling. Maybe now you'll get why I'm so upset.

Like I said, I'll never forget the person you used to be. Things were a lot nicer back when you didn't think like you do now. Just know that I'll remember you in a happier way.

I suppose it's time to stop writing. But before I do, I'd like to let you know something: please know that I am extremely angry with you, Oliver.

But it doesn't mean I don't care.

Being your best friend gave me some of the best times of my life. You were there when I couldn't talk to Lucy, you held me when I cried, you even danced with me when no one else would.

You've changed me, Oliver. You've made me a better person.

And I'll never forget that.

You're such a wonderful man. Your kindness is endless, as is your energy, your laughter, and your smiles for me. Promise me that you'll keep a part of the kid you once were inside you always.

You're a very special boy, Oliver.

And I'm going to put myself out there.

The truth is, Oliver...I've been in love with you since the eighth grade. I was too afraid to say anything because we had to grew apart. So I didn't say anything.

Look where it's gotten me.

But unlike you, I'm not going to solidify my feelings by being marked by the Sacred Kiss. I'm going to allow my heart to heal, and get on with my life. I'm going to forget my love for you, and give my heart to someone who will love me.

It won't do me any good to hold on.

I'm so, so sorry for everything.

I wish you the best, Ollie.

Ellie


	3. Prologue: Sleepovers

Prologue: Sleepovers

_What is your favorite fairy tale?_

I really like the ones that are actually about learning something. Snow White and Cinderella taught me that if I find seven friendly little men, or I have a fairy godmother, I'm set. But I find that misleading. Those are solely for the purpose of giving little girls false ideas about life and love. There isn't a handsome prince sitting in his castle, waiting for you to walk in. It's not that simple.

I like Beauty and the Beast, and the Little Mermaid (the original, mind you), and King Throstle-beard. Those are the ones that we can learn things from: beauty goes beyond appearances, love is the greatest sacrifice, and treat others as you want to be treated. Can we learn that from characters who trust strangers and are lucky enough to have a size 2 foot?

And don't even get me started on Sleeping Beauty - especially the Disney movie. Talk about teaching young girls to act like a Barbie doll! She's only in 18 minutes of the film, a film named after _her_ (it's been clocked, by the way). And she has those fairies to do all the work; all she has to do is look pretty and cry and sleep.

I don't want to do that with my life. Just because you have a certain title ascribed to you, doesn't mean you have to be that. I want to do something more than look pretty. But if we continue teaching the young girls of society to act this way, I suppose that's what's going to happen.

_Eloise, I wasn't expecting such a...lengthy response. I see your point; your view is very interesting. However, next time, why not just pick one fairy tale, and list two or three things you like about it? ~Mrs. Banks_

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><p>"She seriously wrote that? Let me see!"<p>

Eloise Garrison thrust her homework paper at her best friend, Oliver Hazard-Perry II. "Go ahead. I don't care if I never see it again."

Oliver browsed the red writing at the bottom of the sheet, then grinned. "Geez, Ellie. I didn't know you were one for feminism."

Eloise rolled her eyes. "Right. Like Mrs. Banks is worried about a seven-year-old feminist in her second-grade class. She's too occupied with oppressing my views and saving the other girls from getting their hopes dashed."

"Since when did you become so passionate about that?"

"I don't know. I've just always felt that way."

Oliver frowned, setting aside the paper on the coffee table and snuggling deeper into his sleeping bag. "Ellie, if this is about being a Conduit..."

She turned her fierce glare onto him. "Don't even start, Oliver. We're in my house. I don't want Lucy to hear you."

It was Oliver's turn to roll his eyes. "She's at Mimi Force's for the night. Or did you forget?"

"How could I not?" She sighed, welcoming the nuzzling of her Tuxedo cat, Clarice.

"Well, then, we can talk about it." Oliver's tone grew serious. "I know you don't like being a Conduit. But...it's not all that bad."

"Isn't it? Oliver, all the girls at Mimi's are probably wondering why I'm not there right now, basking in their glory, fulfilling my duty as a lowly human. They're probably wondering why I decided to have a sleepover with you."

"That's not what they're doing at all." Oliver leaned closer, his eyes wide. "They're jealous of you, Ellie. They're jealous that you're here, hanging out with me, because they secretly think I'm awesome."

Eloise shoved Oliver away, fighting a fit of giggles. "Oliver, shut up!"

"Hey, it got you to laugh, didn't it?"

"Whatever!" She smirked at him. "Speaking of Conduits, when are you finally going to ask out your girlfriend?"

"Ellie, Schuyler Van Alen is _not _my girlfriend," Oliver said, grimacing. "And she keeps avoiding me because she thinks I'm weird."

"Or maybe she thinks we're dating, and you're trying to cheat on me," Ellie said with a devious smile.

That caused Oliver to laugh. "That's exactly what it is. She doesn't want to hog all this amazingness for herself, like _someone _I know..."

Eloise smacked him with her pillow, overtaken by laughter.

After a pillow fight and a round of laughter that made their sides ache, Eloise's mother informed them that it was time to go to bed, for heaven's sake. She turned out the light, but that didn't stop the two seven-year-olds from whispering to each other.

A moment of silence fell on them suddenly.

"Hey, Ellie?"

"Yeah?"

"We...we're gonna have to stop being friends...aren't we?"

Ellie sat up, clutching a very uncomfortable Clarice to her chest. "Let's not, okay? I know Schuyler doesn't hang out with Lucy or Mimi, and that we have to do whatever they want, but...Ollie, you're my best friend!"

Her voice hung in the air as neither wanted to consider their futures apart.

"We could be secret friends," Oliver suggested, his voice taking on a lighter tone. "And no one would know but us."

Ellie sighed. "Secret friends? Can you even DO that?"

"Why not?" Oliver shrugged. "If The Committee can keep their secrets, why can't we?" He stuck out his pinkie finger. "Let's swear on it, right now. We'll always be friends."

"No matter what," Ellie agreed, hooking her pinkie with his.

* * *

><p><em>Seven years later...<em>

It was the middle of June. Lucy was out of town with her family, and Schuyler had gotten an ear infection and wasn't feeling well.

Oliver and Eloise knew exactly what that meant: Friday night movie sleepover.

They still hadn't told anyone about their friendship. They kept it on the down-low, in case anyone suspected. Lucy's social status was more important than the two of them at the moment, and while they certainly had never seen it that way, they had no choice. Vampires came first.

Eloise glanced over at Oliver several times, wondering if she should make a move. She'd been crushing on him for months, and here he was, right next to her on the same couch. She kept thinking he'd slip his arm around her shoulder, or hold her hand, but every time it looked as if he would, he'd scratch his head or rub his eyes.

She decided it would be way too forward to take his hand in hers, or drape his arm over her shoulder. So she settled for the next best thing.

She closed her eyes and slowly leaned her head toward his shoulder, finally dropping it onto him.

She steadied her breathing, feigning sleep. She hoped he wouldn't notice she was pretending, or worse, move. She'd been too scared to do anything about her feelings, and this was the first time she'd acted on them. If he screwed it up, she'd be very, very annoyed.

She felt, rather than heard, him chuckle softly. A few minutes later, she felt his arm around her, and his cheek press lightly onto the top of her head. She almost wanted to scream in happiness, but she quickly remembered she was supposed to be sleeping. And, strangely enough, she _was _rather tired. Slowly she felt herself falling asleep, lulled by the steady rhythm of Oliver's breathing.

* * *

><p>She had been having that dream again. The awful one that she couldn't remember, but made her jerk awake, breathing heavily and feeling absolutely dreadful.<p>

She felt a dull pain on the back of her head.

"Ow, Ellie," Oliver groaned, rubbing his nose. "You gotta watch where you swing your head."

"S-sorry," she stuttered, trying to calm herself down.

Oliver frowned. "You okay?"

"Bad dream, that's all," she said, hoping he wouldn't question her further. As much as she wished for him to return her feelings, she didn't want him to know about some stupid nightmare she had.

"Ellie...you're pale."

"I'm fine, Oliver." Her voice cracked. Why was she crying? She didn't even know what happened in her dream. So why was she crying?

"Ellie..."

She tried to speak, but all that came out was a half-choked sob. God, why was she so upset? She couldn't cry in front of him. She wouldn't.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" His voice was so quiet, she could barely hear it.

She shook her head, and couldn't hold back her tears any more. She let them run down her face. She didn't care at this point. She just wanted to cry.

"Ellie, don't cry," Oliver said, pulling her into his embrace. "It's okay. I'm here."

She continued to cry softly into his pajama shirt, clinging to him. She didn't even care that he was holding her; she just wanted someone, anyone, to tell her it was alright.

"It was just a dream, Ellie," Oliver whispered. "You're safe."

And she felt safe. She felt completely safe in his arms. Oliver would protect her. And, as lame as that sounded, she suddenly believed it.

"O-oliver?"

"Yeah?"

"P-please don't let go."

"Okay, Ellie." She heard him smile slightly. "I won't."

* * *

><p>Oliver's mother walked into the living room the next morning, about to reprimand him for leaving the refrigerator open all night. She stopped when she saw that he and Eloise were sound asleep. Oliver was in a sitting position, Eloise sitting in his lap with her head on his shoulder. His cheek was resting on her head, his breathing rustling a few strands of her russet hair. True to his word, his arms were securely around her, holding her close.<p>

Oliver's mother smiled and tip-toed quietly out of the room. She'd wait to yell at her son later. For now, she'd allow him to, hopefully, figure out what she'd been suspecting for a long time.


	4. 1: Friday Afternoon Happenings

_Thank you SO MUCH to Bread-Like Real Love-Took Time and VampireSweet200 for reviewing! :) It's hard to know if people enjoy this story, since Blue Bloods doesn't have as big a following as Twilight does. :p _

_Anyway, in case you've gotten this far and haven't figured it out yet, I've decided to give this a try. My other stories are going to be updated; don't worry. ;) Right now, though, I'd like to focus my attention on this, while my interest in Blue Bloods is still as strong as it is._

_Updates are going to depend on a lot of things. If I suddenly swing back into an "OMG-I-need-to-update-my-Holes-or-my-Harry-Potter-story" mood, then this might go to the sidelines for a while. Also, I kind of have a life outside of writing...and it belongs to school and my job and show choir and voice lessons and reading my library books before I have to return them. Writing right now is more of a hobby than it is a priority (but hopefully after college, that will change); so please don't be angry with me if I'm slow to update. (I already feel awful about leaving my aforementioned Holes and Harry Potter fanfics unattended to.)_

_DISCLAIMER: I own all my OCs, which are Eloise and her cat. And her parents. That's it. I wish I owned Oliver, but life sucks sometimes. :p_

_Oh, and if someone would be SO KIND as to send me a brief summary/spoilers for what happens in the first four BB books, that would be awesome! I may read a lot, but my memory is terrible when it comes to books, and I want to make sure my details are correct. I'd go on the BB Wiki, but it's not even really a Wiki (again, due to the fact that we're such a small fandom), and I don't know where else I'd be able to get that information (unless I check out the books again, but there is NO WAY I'm doing that, since I just got seven books from the library I have to read). So if someone would please message me about that, that would be awesome! :)_

_So...I think now's when I should shut up and let you read the chapter._

_Enjoy! _

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Friday Afternoon Happenings<span>

Schuyler Van Alen.

What was so special about her, anyway? Sure, she was beautiful; no one could deny that. She had gorgeous blue-black hair, crystal-blue eyes, a face that you couldn't help but stare at in wonder.

That didn't mean she was special. A lot of people in New York were beautiful. It was a common thing to see someone model-perfect in line at a Starbucks or shopping at Barneys.

So what made Schuyler Van Alen stick out?

"Eloise!"

Eloise snapped out of her thoughts, dropping Clarice on the floor. The black-and-white cat promptly sauntered away, clearly annoyed.

"Eloise!"

Eloise turned her attention to the girl in front of her. Lucy Forbes stood in a low-cut purple ruffle top, sleek black pants, and gold strap stilettos. She had her hands on her hips. "I asked you, how about this?"

Eloise quickly sized up Lucy's outfit. "It looks great."

Lucy dropped her hands and sighed loudly. "Elle, you said the same thing about the last ten outfits!" She scurried back into her walk-in closet, dodging the many articles of clothing lying on the floor. "How am I going to find the perfect one if you don't give me any feedback?"

"Well, they all look great," Eloise said weakly. "And you know I'm not a fashion critic."

Eloise and Lucy lived in the same mansion on Park Avenue, and were practically like sisters. It was easy for Eloise to become Lucy's friend, considering they'd lived under the same roof since they were born. While both were rather proper when it came to moral values, they still managed to contrast each other; Lucy was outgoing and fun-loving, and Eloise was reserved and self-conscious.

Lucy had kidnapped Eloise from her Friday relaxation - reading a book and pigging out on Goldfish crackers - to help pick out something to wear to Block 122, the exclusive nightclub for Blue Bloods. Apparently Mimi Force was going to be there tonight with her usual entourage, and Lucy, while she despised Mimi, wanted to make a good impression.

How this made any sense, Eloise wasn't sure. Lucy didn't even like nightclubs; she thought they were degrading and a cesspool for numerous STDs. But in Lucy's mind, it was perfectly okay to bend the rules and hang out with someone you didn't like at a place you never went. So that was why, instead of immersing herself into her reading and eating tasty little fish-shaped crackers, Eloise was stuck in Lucy's room, trying - and failing - to give fashion advice.

Since it was apparent that Lucy would be a while, Eloise let her mind slip back to Schuyler Van Alen. Why did she dislike that girl so much? It wasn't as if she was mean, like Mimi Force. In fact, Schuyler was one of the nicest people she'd met. Oliver seemed to rave about her enough.

Eloise cringed a little. There it was. The reason she didn't care much for Schuyler Van Alen.

Oliver had finally managed to win Schuyler over by sharing his lettuce sandwich with her one day in the second grade. After that, Eloise and Oliver barely talked in public. Eloise didn't understand why they couldn't at least tell Schuyler about their secret friendship, but Oliver didn't want to. Every time he refused, Eloise would tease him about having a crush on Schuyler and not wanting to make her upset, but Oliver denied it every time.

So they kept their friendship to the sidelines for a long time, and then that fateful eighth grade Sadie Hawkins dance happened. Eloise wasn't planning on it, but that night would change how she viewed Oliver. He and Schuyler showed up in hideous clothes, laughing in a corner and never socializing with anyone else. Eloise knew she had to ignore them because she was there with Lucy and other girls in Mimi's circle of friends, but she couldn't help but continually glance over at where the two sat.

She remembered that Oliver was wearing a baby blue suit with a frilly tie, and his shoes were the ugliest loafers she'd ever seen. All the same, she was almost charmed by it. It was kind of amusing to see him oppose how the other boys were dressed.

That was when it hit her. He wasn't like the other boys, and he never had been. Like the girls in their grade, they were focused on pretense, about how to act and what to wear. They weren't concerned about the people behind all that.

But Oliver was. He never did stuff like that. He was real, and honest, and kind, and sweet. And the more Eloise thought about it, the more she glanced over at him. And the more she glanced over at him, the more she realized how soft his chestnut hair looked and how inviting his eyes were.

And so, at 10:27 p.m. on January 19th, Eloise developed feelings for Oliver.

"Elle!"

Eloise, once again, was jerked away from her thoughts. Lucy had reemerged wearing a teal sequined dress and silver wedges.

"I'm gonna go with this, okay?" Lucy said slowly.

Eloise nodded. "Okay."

Lucy cocked her head, her dirty blond hair falling to the side. "Elle, are you feeling alright? I mean, usually you're so much more...active when you help me with my outfits."

Eloise wanted to point out that she was never active when it came to that, but decided against it. "I'm fine. It's just been a long week, that's all."

Lucy wasn't buying it. One of the advantages - and the drawbacks - of being best friends was that Lucy could tell when Eloise was lying. She sat on her bed and gave Eloise a hard look.

"Is this about that Perry guy again?"

Yet another blessing/curse: Lucy knew when Eloise was thinking about boys.

Lucy had weaseled out of Eloise that she had a crush on Oliver. She was good at that, but she still hadn't figured out that Eloise and Oliver were still friends.

"No..." Eloise said weakly.

Lucy sighed. "Elle, come on. You can do so much better than him! He and that Van Alen chick are probably together, anyway."

"Don't say that," Eloise said, hurt.

"What? It's probably true," Lucy said, digging around a pile of clothes to find her purse.

"If he ever gets a girlfriend, I don't want it to be her." She didn't know why she felt that way. It was strange, really; she didn't mind if Oliver started dating, even if he didn't date her. She just couldn't stand the idea of Schuyler getting him.

"Face it, Elle. It'll happen sooner or later." Lucy stood back up with her purse, patting her hair in place. "If you really want to go after him, you'll have to start hanging out with him first. Although I highly doubt you'd want to. The two of them are complete social rejects."

"Right..." Eloise said absently, wincing at her friend's words.

"Well, I'm all set. Are you sure you don't want to come with? If you're with me, they'll let you in."

Eloise shook her head. "My shift at the Repository starts in a couple of hours. Plus I'm not a nightclub type of person."

"Suit yourself." Lucy turned to walk out when she turned back and placed a hand on Eloise's shoulder. "Tell you what. If I see any cute Red Bloods tonight, I'll let you have first pick before Mimi can chomp into them. Sound good?"

Eloise smiled. "Thanks, Lu."

"No problem." And with that, Lucy flounced away.

Eloise got up and went down the hall to her room. Clarice was lounging across the bed, enjoying the last few rays of the setting sun.

"Spot stealer," Eloise mumbled, picking up her cat and setting her on the end of the bed. She picked up her book and let herself get lost in a world where best friends didn't act so strangely, beautiful girls weren't a problem, and the guy always realized that the girl next door was the one for him.


	5. 2: Crowd Control

_I'd like to welcome ceville143 to the Blue Bloods community, and to thank her a billion trillion times for agreeing to review this (even though she's never even heard of Blue Bloods before). Thank you thank you thank you! :D_

_School's beginning to creep up on me, unfortunately, so I don't know when I'm going to be updating ANYTHING. :p It will happen...I'm just not sure when._

_But I'd like to thank all my lovely readers/reviewers ahead of time for your continual support! ^_^ Thanks so much!_

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Crowd Control<span>

Eloise was able to catch a ride in the family's town car to Block 122. When she got out at her stop, she noticed there were a lot more people gathered than usual. That's when she caught sight of the building right on the corner, the one that sat next to Block 122. It looked to be a new club called The Bank, and, Eloise figured, tonight was the grand opening. That would explain the ungodly long line that stretched down the street.

She sighed, walking along the line of people waiting to get into The Bank. It wasn't bad enough that she would probably run into a bunch of Blue Bloods while on her way to the Repository - it was located right beneath Block 122, and she almost always bumped into at least one of them. Now she had to deal with something equally as bad: obnoxious Red Bloods trying to get into a nightclub.

"Hey, girlie! The end of the line's back there!" someone called after her. Eloise fought the urge to turn around and correct him, but she gritted her teeth and kept walking. _It's not worth it, Ellie._

She noticed a few Red Blood girls from her grade standing further up, whispering to each other and giggling. Eloise rolled her eyes, trying not to pay them any attention.

"Eloise?"

Of course. She would be so unlucky.

She turned and tried to smile at the girls, but it turned quickly into a grimace. "Hey, Emily, Erika, Nicole, Kelsey," she said, nodding to each girl in turn. "What brings you here?"

Immediately she regretted asking it. The girls smirked at her.

"We're here to go clubbing, obvs," said the girl named Nicole, who was tall and blond. "Something _you_ wouldn't know anything about."

Eloise deflated a little at her words. "Well, have fun," she said, not really meaning it.

"You sure you don't wanna come?" Erika asked mockingly.

"No, thank you," Eloise said. "I work right now, anyway."

"Suit yourself." The four girls turned to each other and started to laugh. Eloise walked away quickly, trying not to cry. Eloise and Lucy were both known at Duchesne, their high school, as very proper girls: they didn't drink or smoke, they stuck to their curfews, and neither of them had a boyfriend (or, in Lucy's case, hadn't had a human familiar yet; she was waiting until the age of consent, which was 18). Even though the two of them were considered popular, some of the other girls found their habits to be old-fashioned and silly, and as a result they were laughed at a lot. Lucy ignored it, but Eloise took it to heart, considering she was also a Red Blood and was already looked down upon because of that.

She was so focused on getting away that she almost ran headlong into someone standing out of line. She stopped just in time; she didn't need any more embarrassing incidents tonight.

It took her a second to take in the boy's pressed khaki pants, chestnut hair, and beat-up BlackBerry. Her heart sped up, but she calmed herself quickly and smiled.

"Hey there, stranger. I haven't seen you in a while."

The boy looked up from his BlackBerry, his face breaking out into a smile. "I could say the same thing to you, miss."

She playfully shoved Oliver's shoulder. "Touche."

He laughed, pocketing his phone. "So what are you doing here? I didn't know you were into clubbing."

"I'm not. I work Friday nights, remember?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "And I could very well say the same for you, Mr. Hazard-Perry."

He rolled his eyes. "It's just Sky and me, okay? I thought it'd be fun. Besides, it'll give her a chance to test out her vampire powers."

Eloise nodded in understanding. "You mean the mind-control?"

"Yeah. I mean, come on. We just turned 15. There is no way in hell we'd be able to get in without fake I.D.s AND Sky working a little vampire magic."

"Right..." Eloise looked at her shoes, annoyed that he had brought Schuyler up so quickly.

Oliver gave her a curious look. "Ellie? If this is about..."

"Oh, God," she interrupted. "No, it's not. Look, I get it. Lucy and I are prudes. We're the goody-two shoes who follow all the rules. I know I shouldn't be acting like your mother and telling you not to drink and go to clubs, but I can't help it. I worry."

"Ellie, there's nothing wrong with being a prude," Oliver said jokingly. "And I appreciate your concern."

"Really?"

He laid a hand on her shoulder, sending a wave of warmth through her. "Yes, I do. But I was asking about Sky."

Of course he was.

Eloise shook off his hand, not wanting to talk to him anymore. "What about her?"

Oliver sighed. "Ellie...you...you're not jealous, are you?"

"No," she said a little harshly. "Why would I be?"

"It's just we haven't been able to hang out as much, and...I don't know, sometimes I wonder...you always seem so...threatened when we talk about her."

_Gee. I wonder why _that _is?_

She forced a smile. "I'm fine, Oliver. Really. If something was up, I would tell you."

"Are you sure? I worry about you almost as much as you worry about me."

"Almost?" she asked, giggling.

"Face it, Ellie: no one worries more than you."

The two laughed at that, and for a moment, Eloise forgot to feel angry at him.

Oliver suddenly stopped laughing, glancing at something behind her.

"Oliver?" She turned to look. "What's wrong?"

Schuyler Van Alen stood in the middle of the street, talking to a tall boy with platinum blond hair and stunning green eyes. Eloise recognized him as Jack Force, the most sought-after boy in school.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice strained.

Eloise just stood and watched as Oliver walked over to the two. He put his arm protectively around Schuyler, leading her away from Jack. It was all part of his Conduit instinct, she told herself; he was merely watching out for Schuyler.

If only her heart would stop aching...

Schuyler and Oliver got back in line, completely ignoring she was there. Eloise figured that was her cue to leave, and she started to briskly walk away.

She suddenly felt a hand on her arm.

"You wanna get together tomorrow for lunch?" Oliver asked.

She was about to say no; she really was. She and Oliver didn't have that much time to spend together, and lately, he had a hard time not talking about Schuyler. She knew Schuyler had to come first, but she couldn't stand to be around Oliver when he talked about her the way he did. He acted more like they were a couple than best friends.

But his hazel eyes got the better of her. They were just so gorgeous...and the way they were looking at her made her heart melt.

"Of course," she said softly.

"Great. My house? Noon?"

She nodded. "I'll see you then. Have fun."

"Thanks. I'll text you later, okay?"

She nodded again. He never texted her anymore. This was surprisingly pleasant.

"Alright." He ducked his head close and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "See you later, Ellie."

"S-see you later," she called, stunned. It took all of her willpower to move from that spot and head into the Repository.

But even on the elevator down, she couldn't stop smiling.


	6. 3: He Loves Her, He Loves Her Not

_Thanks again to my reviewers! You guys are THE BEST! :D_

_P.S. There's something in this chapter that Bread-Like Real Love-Took Time pointed out back when this was still a pilot story. ;) _

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><p><span>Chapter 3: He Loves Her, He Loves Her Not<span>

Schuyler Van Alen had that look on her face, the one Oliver knew meant that she had figured something out. It usually spelled trouble for him, and as they sat at a table on the second floor of The Bank he decided, as usual, to play dumb.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" he asked, tugging on his sweater collar. "Did I not put on enough cologne or what?"

Schuyler rolled her eyes and giggled. "Nothing, Ollie. It's just...you've kind of been in and out all night, that's all."

Oliver shifted uncomfortably. "I have not," he lied.

Schuyler fixed him with a stern look. "You told one of the bartenders that you wanted, and I quote, 'A glassful of sparkling rainbows and butterflies.' Twice."

Oliver winced. He must have really been out of it. "There's no way I said that unless I was high on something."

Schuyler shook her head. "I think you're trying to avoid the problem here."

"And what's that? Me making a jackass out of myself?"

"No. It's why you've been acting like you're in your own elated bubble." She frowned, deep in thought. "Did you do well on a test or something?"

"When do I _not _do well in school? And, besides, that's not it-"

"You're right," she interrupted him. "You don't get excited about school _ever_." She was quiet again. "Did Mandy Moore break up with her boyfriend?"

"As far as I can tell, no," Oliver said heatedly. "And, for your information, I stopped observing her a long time ago."

"Ollie, that was total celebrity stalking," Schuyler said, laughing.

"Was not."

"Was to." She suddenly gave him a smirk. "Well, that leaves one possibility left: you have a crush on someone."

Oliver's face went white, then he felt it slowly heat up. He hoped she wouldn't notice. He started to panic, not knowing what to tell her.

At the start of the school year, Oliver had started to feel something more for Schuyler. He wasn't _in love _with her; it was a teensy little crush that happened to every guy-girl-best-friend duo. It would pass eventually; he didn't view it as a huge deal.

At least, he hadn't until tonight. Tonight, he was reminded that his affections - and his mind - also lay elsewhere. Besides having a passive crush on Schuyler, Oliver was warring with himself on how he felt for a certain petite redhead, who was several miles beneath their feet, working in the Repository.

He didn't know why he had kissed Eloise like that. They were friends, and only friends; friends didn't kiss each other like that. She was still the girl who knew how to get under his skin, the girl he could talk to for hours and never get bored with. The girl who smelled like vanilla orchid, the girl whose head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck, the girl whom he had held that night in June, keeping her close to his heart and realizing that he wanted to keep her in his arms forever.

But that was the problem: he didn't _want _to see her that way. He was sure she didn't feel that way about him; she was terrible at keeping secrets, and she hadn't proven otherwise. Oliver didn't want to ruin their friendship, especially since he felt awful for not seeing her all that often. He wanted her to be happy, and if that meant never acting on a fleeting crush of his, then so be it.

Schuyler's fingers were snapping in front of his face. "Oliver!"

"Hmm?" he jerked his head up. "Huh?"

"You've done that several times tonight, and there's only one explanation for it: you like somebody."

When he didn't answer, she slapped the table in triumph. "I knew it! I knew that was it! You have a crush on someone." Her grin widened. "So, who's the lucky lady?"

Oliver could only stutter, not sure what to say. Before he could blurt something out, Schuyler pressed on.

"Wait...is it that cute little redhead you were talking to earlier?" Her eyes widened. "Ollie, why didn't you tell me you liked someone?"

"She's just a friend," Oliver finally got out, trying to ignore the blush that was quickly spreading to the tips of his ears.

"Ollie, you never kiss _me _like that, even if it was on the cheek." Something clicked in her brain. "Wait...how do you know her? I mean, I know she hangs out with some of Mimi Force's cronies, but I've never seen you talk to her before tonight..."

Oliver groaned internally. This couldn't get much worse, could it?

"Her name is Eloise," Oliver said. "We've been friends for a long time, longer than the two of us. But we never really talk anymore because..." He trailed off. He couldn't tell Schuyler about his being a Conduit; _that _was a whole other basket of fish.

"Did she value popularity over your friendship?" Schuyler's eyes darkened, angry at the thought.

"No, it's...it's not that. Ellie would never..."

"Ellie?" Schuyler's mouth pulled up at the corners. "You've got your own nickname for her?"

Oliver stopped fighting the blush that was now completely covering his face. "We're _friends_, and that's that. We just realized that...well...we had different interests." He hoped she would buy it. "We still see each other once in a while, but we're just not as close as we used to be."

Schuyler nodded. "You forgot to mention the part about your undying love for her," she added with a sly smile.

He shook his head. "Sky, there's absolutely nothing going on between us, okay? Ellie and I are strictly on a platonic friends relationship."

"I don't know, Ollie..." Her eyes lit up. "Ollie and Ellie." She let out an uncharacteristic squeal. "Your names match!"

"Lucky coincidence," Oliver mumbled.

"That's _proof _you belong together!" Schuyler giggled. "At least ask her out, Oliver. Please?"

"What makes you so sure I'd want to?" he asked.

Schuyler's face became serious. "Your eyes gave you away," she said quietly, gently smiling at him. "Right before you kissed her. The way you were looking at her..." She sighed. "I can only hope someone will look at me like that someday."

"I...I was?" Oliver wasn't even aware he'd been doing that. He looked at Eloise the way he would normally look at her. Had it changed without him even knowing it? Or had he always looked at her that way, and he wasn't aware of how loving he looked?

"Tell me three things about her," Schuyler said suddenly. "Right now."

"What?"

"Don't question it. Just tell me." She gave him a hard look, and he knew he would have to comply.

"Well, fine. What do you want to know?"

She shrugged. "Anything, really." She played with the straw in her empty glass.

"Alright..." Oliver looked at the ceiling for a minute before answering. "She's got red hair, she's short, and her name's Eloise."

Schuyler punched him lightly. "That doesn't count! I already knew all that!"

"You said I could say anything," Oliver reminded her.

"Anything that I wouldn't know about her, then," Schuyler decided, leaning back and eyeing him expectantly.

"Fine." He sighed. "She has a tuxedo cat named Clarice, and she loves her more than her parents, I think. I mean, she'll buy her sweaters for winter, and brush her exactly fifty-one times each night before she goes to bed, and she only allows her to eat this organic brand of cat food, and-"

"Next thing," Schuyler said abruptly.

"Alright...well, she's got more books than the public library. She's always got her nose in one, which is really annoying if you want to talk to her. You can tell when she's super into one, because that's all she'll be able to talk about. She'll act as if the characters are real, and she gets so emotional over them..."

"Last thing," Schuyler said.

"She wants a greenhouse," Oliver said with a smile. "She told me one time that she wants her husband to build her a greenhouse and fill it with sweetpeas, snapdragons, and roses. Sweetpeas for her shyness, snapdragons for the confidence she hopes to have, and roses - big red ones - to know that he loves her with all his heart."

Schuyler stared at him, blinking. "That's so romantic."

He nodded. "I think so, too."

Schuyler narrowed her eyes at him. "And...you're sure you're not in love with her? Ollie, you just told me so much about her...and I didn't even ask you to specify."

Oliver frowned, realizing she was right. This made his heart beat faster and his face become warm again.

"I'm not saying you should," Schuyler said, holding up her hands in defeat, "but I really think you should think about asking her out. Or, at the very least, spend more time with her. She obviously makes you happy."

Oliver frowned. "How so?"

"Well, you _did _spend half the night off in your own world," Schuyler said, nudging him. "And I know it couldn't have been from me."

"I'm always happy to see you, Sky."

"Not this happy."

The two friends laughed, and dropped the subject after that.

Later that night, as he tried to fall asleep, all Oliver could think about was that conversation. Was Schuyler right? Could she sense something he didn't?

Whatever the answer was, he finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming about building Eloise a greenhouse and giving her a big, red rose.


	7. 4: Oliver's Promise

_Sorry I haven't updated! I've been busy, and also I was sort of in a writer's block. :p (Plus I had an idea for a part in the story that won't come until MUCH MUCH MUCH later, and I couldn't just let it fly across my brain without writing it down.) Please don't be mad at me! XD_

_The good news is that I'm on spring break for a week, and since I'll be stuck at home for about 85% of it, I should be able to come up with ideas and update more frequently. So fingers crossed I can come up with good ideas! _

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><p><span>Chapter 4: Oliver's Promise<span>

Eloise stood in front of the Hazard-Perry estate and cautiously rang the doorbell. She had no idea why her hands were shaking; she'd been here countless times before. She knew this house almost as well as her own. It felt as if she were coming home after an extended vacation.

Oliver had texted her, as he had promised. They were simple messages, mundane things you'd ask anyone: "What's up?", "How was work?" and "Anything new?" She found it a little odd that he asked her about her greenhouse dream. She had felt her face heat up at the mention of something she'd told him a while ago; it seemed rather silly now that she thought about it. She didn't know any guy who would be willing to pick up a hammer, let alone take up gardening. But what made her face stay red was that he had remembered that she'd told him that.

The door opened, jerking Eloise away from her thoughts.

"Eloise! So nice to see you!" Mrs. Perry wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Mmm-hmm!" Eloise said, trying to breath.

"Lunch is almost ready!" Mrs. Perry chirped, her hazel eyes shining. "Well, more like _brunch _is almost ready. I hope you don't mind." She led Eloise down the hallway to the kitchen. "A certain son of mine got home rather late last night."

Eloise giggled, but almost choked on it when she saw Oliver sitting at the island that sat in the middle of the kitchen. She mentally scolded herself. This wasn't the time or the place to let her emotions get in the way. He had asked her to lunch, not to marry him.

"Hey, Ellie," Oliver said through a yawn. He jumped off the stool he'd been sitting on and gave her a hug. Unlike the bear hug she'd received from his mother, this one was gentle and loving. She heard his heart beat, strong and steady, through his shirt, and she wouldn't have minded if she listened to it for the rest of her life.

"Have a good time last night?" Eloise asked, hopping onto the stool next to Oliver.

He nodded, then yawned again. "I didn't get back until about one in the morning."

"And it's not going to happen again," said Mrs. Perry, setting down two big plates of scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon in front of them. "You know I don't like you out after midnight, Oliver."

"I said I was sorry..."

Mrs. Perry turned to Eloise. "I hope he starts having you over more often, dear. He needs a good influence like you."

"Mom!"

"I'm just saying the truth, Oliver." She raised an eyebrow. "Not that I don't enjoy you coming over, Eloise, but what's the occasion? You two haven't spoken in a while." She smirked. "Did Oliver finally ask you out?"

Eloise saw that Oliver was making a slashing movement across his throat with his finger. "Mom," he said, "don't you have laundry or something to do?"

She held up her hands in defeat. "Alright, I'll leave." She gave a wink to Eloise before disappearing down the hallway.

"Well, I can see who's _her _favorite," Oliver mumbled, trying not to smile.

Eloise laughed. "I knew there was a reason I liked coming over to visit."

"Oh, so spending time with me isn't enough?" Oliver asked as he drowned his food in syrup.

"Of course not. I stay for the free food."

They laughed, then sat in silence as they ate. After a few minutes, Eloise cleared her throat.

"So I'm guessing you guys were able to get in to The Bank."

"Yep. I told Schuyler to send the bouncer a suggestion."

Eloise's eyes widened. "You told her _what_?"

"I told her to think positive, that we were going to get in. What did you think I said?" His face became serious. "Schuyler...you're a vampire. And you sparkle in the sunlight."

"Wow, you _would_!" Eloise said, giggling. "But seriously, that's all you said?"

"Of course. I may have bad habits, but I'm not about to blow a secret that will change her life. That's The Committee's job."

Eloise snorted in agreement. "You got that right. So what did you guys do?"

Oliver shrugged. "We hung out, I guess. Got a few drinks, talked. That's pretty much it."

"That's it?" Eloise said, frowning.

"What were you expecting? People injecting us with used needles? Hate to disappoint, Eloise, but clubbing isn't exactly as exciting as people make it out to be."

"Well, I wasn't thinking that, but...I don't know." She felt her heart clench suddenly. What Lucy had said yesterday had been nagging at her, and she couldn't stop worrying about it. "I guess I was thinking things would be a little more...intimate."

Oliver cocked an eyebrow. "How so?"

Eloise shrugged. "I assumed you two were, you know, dating..."

"What?" Oliver started to laugh. "Ellie, is that why you've been so upset with me? Sky and I are just friends."

Eloise gave him a long, hard look. "Oliver, do you know how overdone that line is? I'm not blind, you know. I know that we can't hang out as much, and we have priorities, but...when I hang out, I want it to be just the two of us. No vampires, no Committee, no Conduit duties. I don't care if you guys are together, I just want to spend time with you without having to worry about all that."

She breathed out after she was done speaking. She couldn't believe she'd just spilled all that.

Oliver got a funny look on his face, one that she couldn't read. He reached for her hands and took them in his. Hers were, of course, small, and were almost swallowed by his larger ones.

"Ellie, I want to be honest with you, okay? I don't know if you'll believe me, but I'm telling you the truth." He looked her right in the eye. "Schuyler and I are friends. She's like my sister. And I'm sorry if I've been talking about her all the time. I would tell you if I was dating someone, and I can tell you I am most certainly not dating anyone right now.

"I'm going to promise you something, Ellie. I'm going to promise that when we spend time together, we won't talk about any of The Committee stuff. It'll be just you and me. I promise."

She was almost certain her heart was going to leap out of her chest. She'd never seen him so serious before. Moreover, she couldn't believe he was making a promise like this _to her. _

"Does that sound good?" he asked.

Eloise couldn't find her voice, so she just moved her head up and down.

"Okay." He cracked a smile, pulling her to her feet before encircling her with his arms. She pressed her face into his chest, wishing she was brave enough to tell him how she felt.

Instead, she decided to ask something else.

"Why did you ask me about the greenhouse?" Her voice was a little muffled.

He pulled away, looking a little flustered. "Oh, that? Uh...it just popped into my head last night for some reason. I was just curious if...if you still wanted it."

She thought for a moment. "Yes. I still do. I know that's it's probably the cheesiest thing ever, but..."

"No, it's not," Oliver said. "I think it's...sweet. Not a lot of guys would be willing to do that sort of thing, you know?"

She nodded. "I'll bet most boys we know don't even know what a greenhouse is."

Oliver gave her a wry smile. "Aren't you lucky to have me around?"

This got her laughing, and that eased things between them. But even as the afternoon wore on and the two of them spent it walking through Central Park, Eloise couldn't help but think about how true his words were. She really _was _lucky to have a friend like him.

If only she wasn't so shy about her feelings, maybe they could finally get somewhere.

She couldn't know that, as lighthearted as Oliver was on the outside, inside he was thinking the same thing.


	8. 5: Eloise's Waltz

_A little note on this: I found someone who put the whole first book online (and although they spelled Kitty Mullins's name with two "f"s instead of two "l"s, I can't be too picky), and apparently all the girls for the Fall Informal were wearing "chic black cocktail dresses". So all of them looked the same? I mean, I get it, it's supposed to be that way so Sky and Ollie can stand out, but...come ON. I would think the girls would try to outdo each other with some colorful (and skanky) dresses!_

_So that's why I changed that. I mean, come on. How boring is black? :p I mean, it's not boring all the time, but when everyone's wearing it? Yeah, just a tad._

_Also, if my description of Eloise's dress is too confusing and/or too vivid, let me know, please! Sometimes I slip back into my Mary-Sue habits (but only sometimes!), and I most definitely don't want to go back there._

_And if the last part is super cheesy and a complete rip-off of_ A Cinderella Story,_ I'm sorry. I was in a cheesy mood today. :)_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 5: Eloise's Waltz<span>

The next week went by in a blur. Aggie Carondolet, one of Lucy's friends, had been found dead in the alleyway between The Bank and Block 122 late Friday night. The Red Bloods announced it as a drug overdose, and The Committee was still unsure of what to officially call it. Eloise heard rumors going around that Aggie had been murdered, but didn't say anything to Lucy. She was already in enough grief as it was, and the funeral certainly hadn't done much to calm her sadness.

Eloise and Oliver were spending less and less time together. The first Committee meeting of the year was fast approaching, meaning that Schuyler was even closer to uncovering her real identity. This also meant that Oliver had to focus on his Conduit duties a lot more now, considering the Sunset Years (vampires aged 15 to 21) were the most vulnerable time for the Blue Bloods.

Eloise couldn't help but see a ray of hope, though. Even if they couldn't see each other in person, Oliver was constantly texting her. The best part was that he kept his end of the conversation off of Schuyler as much as he possibly could. Eloise was flattered that he'd consider her feelings like that; she couldn't help but wonder sometimes if maybe, just maybe...

"Eloise?" Lucy poked her head into the room, her eyes rimmed red from another crying session.

"Yeah?" Eloise looked up from her book.

"Are you going to the Informal tomorrow night?"

Eloise had completely forgotten about that. The back-to-school dance was always held at the American Society building, which was right down the street from Eloise and Lucy's mansion. Of course, it was anything but informal; everyone always went all-out. It might as well have been the prom, without the limos and the pictures taken by parents.

"No," Eloise said, moving Clarice off of her legs. She was never one to go to any school dance, unless, of course, Lucy dragged her. But for a while now, Lucy had given Eloise some space and hadn't forced her to to go.

"Oh. I was just wondering." Lucy looked down at her feet.

Eloise sighed, got up from her bed, and gave Lucy a hug. "If it makes you feel better, I'll go with you, okay?"

"I don't want you to go out of pity, Elle," Lucy said.

"I'm not." Eloise gave her best friend a small smile. "I'm going because I want to."

"And...you're sure about this...?"

Eloise smiled, wider this time. "Of course."

* * *

><p>This was a huge mistake. An absolute mistake.<p>

But now there was no getting out of it.

"Hold still," Lucy said, lightly brushing Eloise's eyelashes with mascara. "And don't flinch like that!"

"It's hard when you keep poking me in the eye," Eloise countered.

"I wouldn't if you stopped squirming!"

Eloise huffed, but sat still, tensing up when Lucy came close to jabbing her eyeball with the mascara wand.

"Alright, now all you need is some lip gloss..."

Lucy dabbed sticky pink goo all over Eloise's lips. When she was instructed to smack them together, they tasted like cherry.

Lucy stood back, a huge smile on her face. Eloise noticed that it wasn't self-satisfied, and it wasn't a smirk. It was a genuine smile.

"Elle...you have to see yourself!" Lucy squealed, pushing her in front of the mirror.

Eloise said nothing and did what she was told. She stood still for a moment, blinking, unable to believe that the reflection before her was her own.

Her hair had been curled so that it fell behind her in dark reddish-brown waves. Her makeup wasn't outrageous, as she had previously thought from the way Lucy had put it on; it was visible, but not in the way that would make her look ridiculous.

She was wearing a dress that had come from her own closet, one that Lucy had badgered her into buying but she hadn't actually worn yet. It was a knee-length pink tulle dress with what Lucy called "woven lace tape" accents. There was a huge, girly bow that tied in the back, and when she twirled, the skirt fanned out.

Eloise didn't like to dress up too much, normally. She was much more content in a cardigan and jeans than in a dress that had been in the ballpark of $500. But for some reason, tonight she was glad she was doing this. She was glad her face felt heavy with makeup, and that her hair would most likely get tangled in knots in the shower tomorrow morning. She was glad she was wearing a dress that could have been a bunch of new books, but wasn't.

"Thanks, Lu," she said, turning to Lucy. "I...I love it."

"I knew you would." Lucy sat down on her bed, her blue skirts poofing out all around her. "I just have to put on my shoes and we can go."

Eloise giggled as Lucy struggled to put her shoes on. "Need help?"

"Please and thank you?" Lucy asked, dejectedly handing her silver heels over to Eloise.

"No problem."

* * *

><p>The American Society headquarters looked the same as it always had: red, brick, and extravagant. Inside was the huge ballroom, stairs curving on either side that led up to another, smaller dance floor. Of course, that was where everyone was, mostly because there was food in the back. Eloise knew that by the end of the night, a good number of her classmates would be drunk from the vodka flasks that had been clandestinely brought in.<p>

It was exactly as it had been last year.

Aside from a few compliments on her dress and hair, no one really spoke to Eloise. She danced with Lucy during the fast songs, but felt a little self-conscious. Most people were grinding and dancing in a way that closely resembled cage dancing, but Eloise was more of a jump-and-rock type of person. She felt better that Lucy didn't dance like a stripper, but that didn't stop the stares they gathered from some of the girls close by.

"They look like rabbits," she heard Kelsey whisper.

"Someone should tell them Easter isn't for a few months," Emily quipped.

Eloise quickly made her way to a table and sat for a while, her face burning in embarassment.

After an hour, she finally managed to approach Lucy with what she'd been wanting to do for a while. "Lucy, I think I'm gonna go home."

Lucy sighed in relief. "Thank God. I've been wanting to leave for a while." She wrinkled her nose. "Everyone smells like sweat and alcohol."

The two were about to leave when a tall, handsome-looking boy approached them. It was Mason Sullivan, a Blue Blood in Lucy's grade. He asked her to dance, but she refused. Eloise urged her to stay and at least dance with him once.

"Elle, I don't want you going home by yourself!"

"Lucy, just dance with him! I know you two like each other, and who knows? Maybe he's your twin."

Lucy glanced over her shoulder at Mason. "Only if you're sure..."

"Go on. I'll be fine."

Eloise walked out of the room and down the stairs, just as Schuyler Van Alen was walking up with none other than Jack Force. She paused for a minute; the two girls locked gazes. Schuyler looked just as confused and surprised as Eloise did. Eloise decided not to question it any further.

She was outside and about to make the short trek home when she saw lights peaking out from behind the gigantic hedges that lined the backyard. Curious, she followed the path that led between them to a white gazebo, interwoven with flowers and white Christmas lights.

And sitting in the middle of the gazebo, wearing a tweed smoking jacket and a black tie, was Oliver.

"Hey," Eloise said quietly, leaning on the railing. "I didn't know you were one for dances."

He cracked a smile. "I didn't you you were, either."

She shrugged. "Lucy needed something to keep her mind off of Aggie..." She trailed off, thinking back to the funeral, of the casket sitting open, of Lucy sobbing uncontrollably.

Oliver nodded. "Sky and I were bored," he said simply, not going into any further detail.

It suddenly clicked in Eloise's mind. Why Oliver was out here, why Schuyler had looked so confused. Jack must have asked her to dance, and Schuyler had said yes, knowing that Oliver would be left out. And so he had come out here to have a pity party for himself.

Eloise wasn't about to join in on his whining. "Well, I wasn't having any fun, and no one asked me to dance, so I'm gonna head home." She turned on her heels and started to walk away.

"Ellie?"

She turned to see Oliver standing, clinging to one of the pillars of the gazebo.

"Yeah?"

"Do you..." He sighed, his face going red. "Do you have to go home right now?"

"No..." Eloise felt her own face start to flush pink. What was he thinking?

He didn't reply. He dug in his pocket and pulled out his iPod, scrolling until he found what he was looking for. Setting it on the railing he walked up to her.

"Ellie, you look...incredible," he said quietly.

"Thank you. Lucy did most of it," Eloise said, looking at her feet.

"Well, I'd hate to see you looking like this and not even have one slow dance." He winked, a sly smile spreading across his face.

Eloise frowned, looking up at him. "Oliver...you can't be serious..."

"But I am serious." He looked in her eyes, completely sincere. "We both got snubbed, we should make the most of it."

She did the only thing she could think of: she hit him on the arm.

"If you think I'm going to agree to this just because you want Schuyler and Jack to come out here and see us, then you're completely crazy." She felt tears forming in her eyes as she turned away. "I can't believe you would even think..."

"Ellie, that's not what I meant." Oliver caught her wrist, pulling her to him. "You know it's not what I meant." He tilted her chin up so she could look at him. "All I want right now is for the two of us to salvage what's left of tonight, okay? You owe it to yourself, Ellie." The color returned to his cheeks as he pulled her into his embrace. "You're beautiful," he whispered.

She could feel her heart beating faster and faster. She should just run, take off her heels and run home. He didn't really think she was beautiful. He only wanted to make himself feel better.

And yet...

Once again, those beautiful eyes of his didn't betray selfishness. As much as part of her didn't want to believe he was telling the truth, she knew he was. He didn't care if Schuyler found out about this; he wanted her, Eloise, to feel happy and wanted and..._beautiful_.

He led her back to the gazebo, pressing play on his iPod. "You and Me" by Lifehouse floated out of its tiny speaker.

"I love this song," she mumbled to herself.

"That's why I picked it." Oliver smiled, holding out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

She took his hand and nodded. "You may."

She knew why he'd picked this song: it was so different from what was being played inside. It had the tempo of a waltz, and that was exactly what they'd be doing. She figured their mothers had forced them to learn waltzing for some reason; she was glad it was going to come in handy.

Eloise placed her hand on his shoulder, blushing a deeper shade of pink when she felt his hand cradling the small of her back. They stepped off, taking small steps so as not to bump into the railing.

They messed up a few times, but each time they laughed and quickly went back to their waltzing. Eloise felt brave enough to keep her gaze locked on Oliver's almost the whole time. She was a little surprised to see that he hardly looked away, either. She thought for a second that maybe she was dreaming all of this, but then she felt Oliver's hand in hers, and his hand resting on her waist, and she smiled.

When the song ended a few short minutes later, they stood looking at each other. Oliver let go of her hand and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. She swallowed, her voice completely gone.

"Thanks, Ellie," he said, giving her a hug.

"Your welcome," she squeaked. Then, with a little more confidence, "Thank you, as well."

"No problem." He smiled. "How about I walk you home?"

"Oliver, you don't have to do that..."

He grabbed his iPod, took her hand, and led her down the path, onto the sidewalk, and, five minutes later, to her front door.

"Thank you," she said, her voice small. "Goodnight, Oliver."

"Good night, Ellie." He leaned closer, and Eloise went rigid, fearing and hoping that she would finally get her first kiss.

Instead, he pressed his lips to her cheek, making it go a bright shade of scarlet. It wasn't at all like the kiss he'd given her last week; it lasted longer, and his lips lingered before he pulled away.

"I'll see you later," he said quietly.

"Uh-huh," she said. She opened the door and quickly closed it, sliding down onto the floor. She stayed there for about fifteen minutes before she managed to smile.


	9. 6: Anger Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Chapter 6: Anger Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

That whole weekend, Oliver didn't really think about Schuyler. Sure, he was angry with her; he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to her at all once Monday rolled around. But his mind was kept away from his anger, and the one who kept it that way was Eloise.

As close as they had gotten on Friday night, they didn't bring it up at all after that. Lucy was on a two-day shopping spree with Mimi Force and her crowd, and Eloise had somehow gotten away from that to be with Oliver. She knew he was hurt, and she intended to be there for him. Not as a potential date, but as his friend.

They just hung out like they usually did, not doing anything extravagant, just enjoying each other's company. But that was enough for him. He was glad they were back to the easy friendship they normally had. It gave him time to really think about how he really felt about her.

And by Monday morning, Oliver was more sure than ever how he felt about Eloise. Even if he thought they were too young - he didn't turn 15 until November 7th, and she followed on the 24th - he couldn't mistake the warmth in his chest when he saw her. He had fallen for Eloise.

But he was rudely reminded by the sight of Schuyler that he still had the problem of her ditching him to deal with. And, strangely, he felt jealous of Jack Force, jealous that Schuyler would choose him instead of her best friend. He didn't know why he would feel threatened like that; he didn't even like Schuyler as more than a friend...did he?

How could he be in love with Eloise and Schuyler at the same time? It didn't make sense to him. It seemed impossible to feel such strong feelings for one girl, and then so protective of another.

Even though he was still conflicted, Oliver ignored Schuyler, still upset that she would leave him for Jack. Instead, he focused his attention on Dylan Ward, the new slacker kid who had been kicked out of multiple schools, who had decided to start hanging out with the two of them. Schuyler noticed Oliver's silence and tried to catch his attention, but he didn't pay attention.

After a while, he even forgot why he was ignoring her. Eloise refused to stay out of his mind, and he was more focused on that than he was at staying mad at Schuyler.

He felt himself staring at Eloise when he saw her in the hallway, or at lunch, or in their shared English class. He couldn't help but love the way her leg would constantly bounce up and down, the way the fluorescent lights made her hair look more brunette than it really was. The way she'd bite her lip if she was unsure of something...and how soft her mouth looked...and how pink...

"Oliver!"

Oliver jumped at Dylan's voice. "What?"

Dylan sighed. "Dude, why don't you just talk to her?"

"Talk to who?"

"Schuyler. If you're so angry at her, why not try to sort it out?" He ran a hand through his black hair. "Dude, sometimes you're really thick, you know that?"

"I wasn't thinking about her..." Oliver said honestly, feeling the hurt seep back into him.

"Really? You've been blowing her off all day, and you looked kind of upset, so I thought..." Dylan fell silent, a smile spreading across his face. "Oh. This is about Emily, that short girl."

"Her name is Eloise," Oliver corrected, "and no, it's not."

"Schuyler said that -"

"Well, Schuyler should keep her damn mouth shut!" Oliver snapped, opening his locker. "She doesn't know what she's talking about."

Dylan shook his head. "Look, I don't know if this is some sort of freaky love triangle or whatever, but you should at least talk to Schuyler. I don't know what's going on, but you can't stay mad at her forever. And as for your girlfriend..."

Oliver glared. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Right," Dylan said with a smirk. "Well, I'm with Schuyler on that. You should at least see where things go."

"I'll do what I want," Oliver said coldly.

"Whatever." He clapped Oliver on the back. "See you later, Oliver. See ya, Sky."

Oliver tensed and turned around. There was Schuyler, standing in front of him. He cursed Dylan for leaving him like that.

"Hi, Ollie," Schuyler said.

Oliver gritted his teeth, cramming his books into his backpack.

"Oliver."

"What?"

"You know what." She glared at him. "I didn't get a call from you all weekend. We were gonna hang out."

"Oh, were we? I forgot about that." He slammed his locker closed.

"Don't tell me you pouted that whole time."

He narrowed his eyes. "Thanks for having faith in me. And I didn't pout all weekend. I spent time with someone who actually enjoys my company."

"Good. I'd hate to think you'd be angry at me for _having other friends_." Her eyes widened with anger. "It's okay to have other friends, Oliver."

"Do you like him?" he blurted.

"What?"

Oliver balled his hands into fists. "Do you like him? That...loser."

"Jack is NOT a loser. I could easily say the same thing about Eloise. She hangs out with Mimi Force!"

"That's different..."

"No, it's not! It's okay for you to have other friends outside of me and Dylan, but when I have one dance with someone else, it's the crime of the century?"

"Jack is nothing like Eloise -"

Schuyler cut him off smoothly. "She's as much of a loser as Jack."

"Don't you dare," Oliver growled, really getting angry. "Don't you ever say anything like that again."

Schuyler sighed, frustrated. "I really don't want to pick a fight with you, Ollie. I wish I could talk about this more, but I've gotta go to The Committee meeting..."

The Committee. Right. He'd forgotten about that. That just made him even angrier. Why hadn't she told him she'd been invited?

"You got in?" he asked, feigning shock. "You?"

"...Yes..." she said, nervous. "Is it that hard to believe?"

Oliver shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me about it? Am I not good enough to hear that you've been accepted into the Society of Conformists?"

Schuyler looked at the floor, not saying anything.

"I don't even know who you are anymore," he said quietly, turning around. By doing so, he almost knocked someone over.

"Sorry," he said, freezing when he saw who it was.

"Hi," Eloise said. Her face reddened. "If...if this is a bad time, I could...I mean, Lucy's got The Committee today, so I figured..." She swallowed, glancing at Schuyler. "But I don't want to...I can understand if..." She clutched her book to her chest. "I'll just...leave..."

"No, Ellie. It's fine." He glared back at Schuyler. "I don't have anything going on right now."

"Oh. Okay." She smiled tentatively at Schuyler. "Do...do you want to come to Central Park with us?" Oliver saw the hurt in Eloise's eyes, as if asking Schuyler was physically injuring her.

"Schuyler has a meeting to go to," Oliver said. He fought the urge to rub this in Schuyler's face. It wasn't that he didn't want to make her feel bad. It was making Eloise upset with him. If there was one thing he didn't need, it was driving her away. She was his anchor, his escape from the bump in the road he'd hit. He needed her.

"Oh. Well, maybe another time." She smiled, more readily, at Schuyler. "I...I like your high-tops."

Schuyler looked at her, obviously fighting back tears. "Thanks."

Eloise then did something that surprised Oliver: she gave Schuyler a hug.

"Thanks," Schuyler repeated, looking just as bewildered as Oliver did.

Eloise nodded, then fell into step with Oliver.

* * *

><p>"Is she alright?" Eloise asked as they sat on a stone ledge, doing their homework. "You're not being mean to her, are you?"<p>

Oliver shrugged, not looking up from his algebra.

"Oliver." Eloise folded her arms. "Her dancing with Jack is no different from you secretly hanging out with me."

"How'd you know?" Oliver frowned but didn't look up.

"I saw them walking up the stairs when I was leaving, and I pieced it together." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Oliver...you can't do that to her. She's going to need you."

Oliver put down his homework, looking at Eloise. "It just...hurts. Seeing her choose him felt like...like she was giving me up. Like she didn't need me." He sighed. "Maybe she doesn't."

Eloise pulled her hand away. "Oliver, you've gotta stop with this."

"Sorry I can't help that I'm upset," Oliver said, folding his arms.

Eloise was silent, blowing air out of her mouth slowly. "I don't want to fight with you. And I'm not going to force you to do anything." She glanced at him. "But...I want you to think about forgiving her. I know you feel abandoned. How do you think I felt when Lucy made other friends? It was the worst feeling in the world. But we talked about it, and we worked it out."

Oliver looked at her. "You never told me that."

Eloise smiled sadly. "You never asked."

The two of them were silent. Oliver tentatively reached out and laid his hand on top of Eloise's, his stomach filling with butterflies.

"I'll think about it," he said, turning her palm up to meet his. "If not for her, for you."

She nodded, her face red again. "Thank you, Oliver," she whispered.

"Come here, you," he said, smiling. He pulled her closer, hugging her. "Is...is this okay?"

"Yeah," she said breathlessly, as if she was dizzy from their contact. Lord knows he was.

When they pulled away, Oliver knew he was feeling much better. Maybe he wasn't totally ready to forgive Schuyler just yet, but he knew now he was being ridiculous. Schuyler could have friends other than him. He couldn't be so clingy. If she was willing to branch out, he should be, too.

He was completely in awe at how Eloise made thing so much easier. Or maybe she didn't; maybe it just seemed like she did because...

Another wave of warmth went through him as he watched the blush fade from her cheeks and the sun hitting her hair, bringing out the reds and setting it on fire. She looked absolutely stunning.

"Ellie?"

"Yes?"

He gulped. "Could I...hold your hand?"

She nodded, smiling. He once again took hold of her hand, loving the feel of her small fingers on his larger ones, knowing that this was quickly becoming one of his favorite feelings.

* * *

><p>Oliver decided on two things that day.<p>

The first was that he would apologize to Schuyler. As soon as he was ready. Whenever that was. And he hoped it was soon.

The second was that he would work up the courage to tell Eloise that he was in love with her. He knew this would be harder than saying he was sorry. And he also knew that he would put more of himself on the line, as well.

But somehow, the more he thought about it, he knew one thing was certain: Eloise was worth the risk.


	10. 7: Osculating in the Garden

_Dear Reader,_

_I know what you want me to do right now. You want me to go ahead and have Oliver and Eloise finally go out on a proper date. You want me to tell you that while it was awkward, they still enjoyed it. At the end of the night, you want Oliver to finally kiss Eloise properly. You want him to lead her upstairs to her room. You want him to make sweet, gentle, passionate love to her all night long. And then you want them to live happily-ever-after._

_Don't lie; I know that's what you're thinking. Or something in the same vein as that. ;)_

_But, unfortunately for you, dear Reader, there are two huge problems with this scenario:_

_1) I feel rather uncomfortable talking about that sort of thing with anyone. No, I'm not completely squeemish - I_ am _a teenager, after all -__ but it's not something I like to go into excruciating detail about. _

_2) As those of you who have read the Blue Bloods series know, Oliver does eventually give in to the Sacred Kiss. He is forever bound to Schuyler, and pines for her despite the fact that it's obvious she doesn't return his love. And as much as I'd love nothing more than to get these two together, it can't happen just yet._

_I know, I know. You guys hate me for it. But trust me. I know what I'm doing. :] _

_Just read the chapter. You'll thank me later. ;)_

_~Elphie_

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 7: Osculating in the Garden<span>

It was almost hard to believe that they could be friends like they were. When she really thought about it, Eloise realized that she and Oliver hardly had anything in common. Take the music he listened to: 50 Cent and classic rock. She was much more content with Taylor Swift and instrumental scores from films. Movies were along the same line: he liked cheesy sci-fi movies, while she leaned toward anything Disney or book adapted. Even how they ate was different. He adored his sandwiches, and she loved her pizza.

Compared to Schuyler, there was no competition. Schuyler and Oliver liked a lot of the same things; it was no wonder that they were best friends. So how in the world could he ditch such a stunning, quirky, mysterious beauty for a plain, normal, boring girl like herself?

She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the reason; she was almost certain that it was because she was his only other close friend, considering he hadn't known Dylan for very long. It pained her to think that that was why he spent more time with her now. If he wanted to be with her, she wanted it to be on his own terms, not because she was his back-up plan.

She calmly sat on a stone bench in the garden behind the mansion, the mid-morning Saturday sun peeking in and out of the clouds. The garden mainly consisted of roses, with a few other random plants her parents had told the gardeners to throw in to make the garden look diverse.

Eloise was studying a particular rose today. For a while, she was sure it wasn't going to blossom; it had stayed closed, refusing to open even when its companions had. But now, it was easily the most beautiful rose in the garden. It's petals were smooth and a deep scarlet, and it stood up straight, its leaves stretched toward the sun.

She gently ran her fingertips over the rose's petals, aware that someone was beside her. Without turning her head, she knew who it was.

"I wasn't aware you were coming over today," she said, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

Oliver chuckled, sitting down beside her. "I figured you'd enjoy the surprise."

She tsked. "What would Lucy say if she saw you?"

Oliver rolled his eyes, laughing. "You told me she went to do some more shopping with some Mimi clones, remember?"

"I know." She looked at him, her gaze softening. "I'm just flattered that you would risk getting caught."

"Well...you're worth it." Oliver returned her gaze, never breaking it.

Eloise felt her heartbeat quicken. She turned her head away, suddenly very fascinated with the rose's petals again.

"Can I ask you something?" Oliver sounded nervous. "It's about vampires...but if you don't want to talk about it, then that's fine."

She frowned, tracing her fingers around the red velvet of the petals. "Depends on what the question is."

"It's about the _Caerimonia Osculor_."

"The Sacred Kiss," she said softly.

"Has Lucy had any familiars yet?"

Eloise shook her head. "She's waiting for the age of consent." She turned to look at him, curious. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I was just wondering if she ever talked about what goes on during it. You know, if there's any..." He was wringing his hands so hard, she thought he might break his fingers.

"Ask me again in a few years," she answered, trying to lighten the mood. "I won't know until then. Besides, Lucy might not even tell me anything that goes on. The Sacred Kiss is sort of like a weird version of a love bite."

"I gathered that much. I was just wondering if they went so far as to..." Oliver's face turned red.

Eloise shrugged. "It probably depends on the vampire. Lucy says that even when she starts taking familiars, she won't get super intimate with them. She's reserving that right for her twin. And I'm proud of her for choosing that. She tells me Mimi Force is always bragging about all her familiars. I think it's sad, all those boys, never getting the chance of a normal life."

"That's Mimi for you," Oliver said.

"You know something? I feel sorry for her."

Oliver's eyebrows almost left his face. "You've gotta be joking me. Ellie, there's no way you feel sorry for Mimi Force."

"I do. She feels the need to take all these familiars...I think she's hiding behind that. There's some big secret of hers she's not willing to face, and so she puts her energy in chomping on unsuspecting men." She shook her head. "She's too afraid to stick to one or two. Really, I pity her."

"Are you gonna bring your morals into this now?" Oliver asked, intending for it to be a joke.

Eloise, however, didn't take it that way. "So what if I am?" Her brow furrowed. "I realize vampires need more than one familiar, but it should be someone they're comfortable with. Someone whom they know they can trust. I know not everyone sees it that way, but I can't help it. It's just the way I am."

They fell silent. Oliver shifted, moving ever so closer to her. She tried not to notice.

"Have you ever been kissed?" She didn't realized what she had asked until the words were out of her mouth. She bit her lip, trying to stop any more stupid questions from tumbling out.

"I'm proud to say that I haven't." Oliver grinned. "Why? Did you beat me to it, Ellie?"

"N-no," she stuttered, blushing furiously. "I was j-just asking."

Oliver laughed. "Well, if you must know, Schuyler and I made a pact when we were younger, about a year after we became friends. We promised each other we'd be each other's first kiss, and first boyfriend and girlfriend. And then later, we also said we'd...we'd be each other's _first_."

Eloise felt a little rip slowly make its way down her chest. "Oh." Tears burned the corner of her eyes. She mumbled something about it being too warm out and that she was going to go inside, but as soon as she stood up, Oliver was blocking her way, his hands on her shoulders.

"Ellie, that was a long time ago. I'm not even sure Sky remembers any of that. In any case, it was dumb to even promise it in the first place."

Eloise refused to look at him. He sighed, ducking his head to try to meet her eyes.

"Hey. Look at me," he said gently. He raised his head when she finally looked up at him. "Don't worry about it, Ellie. It hasn't happened, and I don't think it ever will."

She shook her head, her throat closed around a rock-sized lump.

"Oh, Ellie...I'm sorry." Oliver sighed. "I don't want you to cry..."

Eloise exhaled. "I'll be fine." She laughed harshly. "I'm just a little jealous that you actually had a plan for your first kiss. I've never had a guy look at me twice, let alone have any interest in kissing me."

She didn't know that Oliver's heart was breaking much in the same way hers was. He wanted to tell her that he looked at her twice; he looked at her a lot more than that. And he had a very big interest in kissing her.

"Sometimes I wish I could just grab someone and get it over with," Eloise admitted. "Everyone always makes such a big deal about that sort of thing."

Oliver's eyes lit up. "Ellie? Would you do something for me?"

She blinked, letting a few tears fall. "And what would that be?"

"Would you do me the honor..." He gulped. "...of being my first kiss?"

If her face had been hot before, it was a furnace now. This was something she'd been wishing for for who knew how long. It wasn't just that she wanted to finally have her first kiss; she wanted it to be with Oliver.

But he had already promised Schuyler, and he deserved better than her. She was just his friend. There was nothing special about a kiss from a friend.

"Oliver, you should share it with someone special," she whispered, more tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. "I don't want to get it over with just to say I've done it."

"That's not what I want at all." He slowly caught her tears with his thumb, brushing them away. "I think this is the absolute perfect moment. And, for the record, Ellie, I will be sharing it with someone special."

"Well, what about Schuyler?" Saying her name made her heart rip in two.

Oliver's mouth twitched upwards a bit. "And you think _I _talk about her too much. Ellie, I want you to not compare yourself to her right now. I don't care about some promise I made when I was a kid."

She tried to break away from his grasp, but he held firm. "We really shouldn't be doing this. What happens after?"

Oliver didn't answer for a moment. His eyes grew serious, but were still gentle. "Whatever happens...we'll work through it."

"No matter what," Eloise said.

Oliver smiled again. "You said that when we pinkie swore."

"I can't believe you remembered."

He shrugged. "I'd always remember that."

"Then what makes that different from the other promise?"

Oliver's eyes locked with hers. "The difference is I made that promise to you." And with that, he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers.

It wasn't very remarkable, as kisses go; it was simple, but very sweet. Oliver had meant for it to be quick, but his lips lingered, loving the softness of her mouth. Eloise stood rigid for a second before relaxing, leaning closer to Oliver. There were thousands of tiny sparks running through both of them, and with each brush of his lips on hers, both of their minds were suddenly filled with fireworks.

He pulled back, slowly, still holding her. They stared at each other, wide-eyed and unblinking.

"That was...nice," Eloise said after a moment, surprised at how strong her voice sounded.

Oliver nodded his head feebly in agreement.

"I'm glad I waited," Eloise said, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest.

"I'm guessing you enjoyed it, then." She could hear the smile in his voice as his fingers wove through her russet hair.

"Does this mean we're...?" She looked up at him, unsure.

"I won't do anything if you don't want to," Oliver answered.

"Do you want to?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure."

"Neither am I."

As they spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the bench, Eloise realized that she really wasn't sure. Yes, she had gotten what she'd wanted; yes, he'd finally kissed her. But did she really want a boyfriend? Did she want to potentially ruin their friendship?

When he got up to leave, he voiced the same doubts she did. "I think maybe...maybe we should wait."

She nodded. "I like the sound of that."

"But I..." His face tinged pink. "I want you to know that...that I would like to...see if...we..."

She giggled. "I know. And I would, too."

He seemed happier at that, giving her a light kiss before sprinting off down the sidewalk. Eloise couldn't stop giggling as she watched him practically fly off the pavement, still not moving from where she stood even when he was out of sight.

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><p><em>So...good? Bad? Extremely corny? REVIEW PLEASE! <em>


	11. 8: Early Morning Texts

_Dear Reader,_

_I apologize in advance. _

_Don't ask. Just read._

_~Elphie_

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><p><span>Chapter 8: Early Morning Texts<span>

Schuyler was using her vampire powers more than she could ever know.

It hadn't been that big of a deal. Right before she'd fallen asleep Friday night, she had a thought. She had said to herself, _I wish Oliver would finally do something about Eloise. It's driving me crazy. _But that was all it took.

The Glom is a curious sort of thing, not really explainable in its entirety: the ability for a vampire to control others' minds, and a sort of limbo dream state. Schuyler didn't even know it existed yet. She had used it once before to get into The Bank, and in her first week of being aware that she was a vampire, she had managed to manipulate it again: she had thrust Oliver and Eloise into a sort of quasi-dream world that look strikingly similar to the real world, and had gotten them together.

Of course, it was really Oliver and Eloise's subconscious states that had experienced it, not themselves, not really. They would remember it, but it would feel as if it had been a dream. And in a way, it had been.

But dreams have more power than we realize. And that's what Oliver discovered when he woke up on Saturday morning, his mind still focused on his trip into the Glom.

He knew it had been a dream, but it had felt so real at the same time. It had been so detailed, and he wanted more than anything to run to Eloise's house, take her in his arms, and kiss her.

Instead, he settled for sending her a text.

**Good morning, my lovely ray of sunshine. Hope you slept well.**

He knew she didn't mind him sending her overly mushy texts like that. To her, they were playful jokes, a way to poke fun at her hopelessly romantic outlook. He could see her right now, groaning into her bed sheets, but quickly smiling and typing her reply.

He frowned, really thinking about what he'd just said. The name Eloise had a lot of different meanings; she was into that sort of thing, looking up what someone's name meant. Eloise could mean "healthy", or "noble warrior", or "sun". Oliver liked the last one best of all; Eloise was so much more beautiful and important than she realized, and had an infectious, bright optimism about her.

He'd never called her lovely before...but he liked it. He felt his chest become warm at the thought. Eloise, his lovely ray of sunshine...

His phone blipped with her reply.

_**Why thank you, good sir. ;) I did have a very pleasant rest. Good morning to you, also.**_

Always so formal. He grinned as he typed a response.

**I'm trusting you had nothing but sweet dreams, then?**

**_I actually had a bizarre one last night. You and I were in the rose garden, talking about the Sacred Kiss. _**

Oliver's thumbs froze over the keys. How was that possible...?

**Wow. That IS bizarre. I had the same dream.**

**_No way. Seriously?_**

**Yeah. And I...I think I kissed you.**

_I don't think I kissed you. I know I kissed you. And I'd love to actually do it in real life._

_**I think you did. Funny how that works. I think I might be spending a bit too much time with you if we're dreaming the same things, Ollie. :D**_

**Yeah, pretty hilarious. ;) **

He could feel an ache in his chest as he pressed the SEND button. How could she joke about something this special? She was treating it as if it didn't matter, as if this sort of thing happened all the time. It was like she didn't even care that they...

Oliver sighed, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. Why was he so scared? Why did he refuse to approach this with her? Why in the world was he allowing himself to let his feelings get the better of him?

It was simple, when he really thought about it: Eloise didn't see him that way.

He would have been able to tell by now, right? He had known her for practically his whole life. He knew how to read her emotions, and if she liked him like that, he would know. She hadn't been showing any obvious signs, so that must mean...

His thoughts were interrupted by her reply.

**_Before I forget, I can't hang out today. :( Lucy's dragging me to some party at the new girl's penthouse. :p Can't get out of it._**

**That's fine. Vampires come first.**

**_I feel bad. I really wanted to see you._**

Wait...did she mean that? He tried to calm himself down.

**Can't get enough of me, can you, Ellie? ;)**

**_Oh, you know me. I'm just so dependent on you. Hey, are you and Schuyler talking again?_**

Schuyler. He'd almost forgotten about her.

**No.**

**_Oh..._**

**I was planning to talk to her this weekend. Don't flip out.**

**_Okay. I was just wondering. You're not yourself when you're not talking to her._**

**How so?**

**_Well, Conduits and vampires are part of each other. So if they're separated, it's like they're missing a piece. It might not be as big a piece as a twin or a spouse, but it's still a piece._**

Oliver had never thought about it like that. It made sense, now that he thought about it. He knew Eloise got really quiet and depressed when she and Lucy had a spat, and usually remained that way until they reconciled.

**_You just don't really seem happy right now._**

**I'll talk to her. Don't worry. :)**

**_Good. I don't like it when you're upset. It makes me worry about you._**

**Ellie, you're always worrying about me.**

**_Well, it makes me worry more, then._**

**Don't worry too much! I wouldn't want your head to explode.**

**_Oh, ha ha ha._**

**:D**

**_You're sooooo funny..._**

**If you say so. ;)**

**_*rolls eyes* :)_**

Oliver was still laughing at their conversation when she sent him another text.

_**Do you think that the dream meant anything?**_

His heart stopped. How was he supposed to answer this? He wanted it to mean something, but he couldn't say that.

**I don't really know. Maybe it's God saying if we don't start dating, all our sexual frustration will direct onto each other.**

**_Right..._**

**Well, what do you think it means?**

**_I don't like interpreting my dreams, if I'm gonna be honest with you. Dreams are just the subconscious taking things we think about during the day and smashing them together. So I must have been thinking about having my first kiss, and you, and the rose garden._**

**That makes sense. That's probably it.**

Oliver could swear his heart was cracking down the middle as he sent his reply. She really didn't think it meant anything. She wasn't even considering it.

He was reading too much into this whole thing. He had to face it: she wasn't interested. And she never would be.

**_It's just a little strange, I guess. Never thought I'd dream about that._**

**Neither did I.**

_I hate lying to you, Ellie. I really do._

**_Do you wanna hang out tomorrow? I think I'm free..._**

**I took an extra shift at the Repository. My parents are waning on my allowance. :p **

**_Oh. Well, I guess I'll see you on Monday, then._**

**Yep. Tell me how the party goes. Maybe our dream was telling us we'll get our first kiss this weekend. ;)**

**_I highly doubt that._**

**You never know. Just make sure you stay safe, Ellie.**

**_Why wouldn't I? You know me._**

**I don't know...sometimes people make dumb decisions. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.**

_Where the hell is this coming from? You have to knock it off. She's gonna get freaked out._

_**Thank you, Oliver. That's really sweet.**_

**You're welcome. And when am I not sweet? ;)**

**_Oh, whatever! And you stay safe, too. You do a lot more questionable things than I do._**

**Alright. I won't get into too much trouble.**

**_Good to hear. Ugh, Lucy's taking me shopping for a new outfit. :p Wish me luck. I'll see you Monday! 3_**

She sent him a heart. That _had_ to mean something.

**Well, good luck then, Ellie. See you on Monday. 3**

**I love you.**

He deleted the last three words before he hit SEND.


	12. 9: If Only For a Moment

_A/N: Sorry I haven't paid much attention to this story! I got sucked into the BBC miniseries The Syndicate, and I had to deal with a rabid plot bunny. But I'm back! :)_

_This took me THREE tries. The first time, I accidentally closed out without saving; the second time I didn't save it properly. :p So hopefully third time's the charm._

_Reviews are like my life source. I eat, sleep, and breathe them. So they would be much appreciated...please!_

_P.S. I know, I know. I snubbed you guys. But I couldn't make Eloise and Oliver get together that fast! ;) I still have a few more important book events to mention. _

_P.P.S. I just finished Lost in Time and I'm super excited for Gates of Paradise. Except for the fact that Melissa de la Cruz was all, "Oh, Oliver still loves Schuyler. Hahaha I love giving him the shaft!" Ugh! NO! He needs to get over himself! XD_

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><p><span>Chapter 9: If Only For A Moment<span>

Eloise was relieved to be back among the dusty books of the Repository on Monday afternoon. The party thrown by the new girl - Bliss, if she remembered correctly - was the typical end-all be-all she had expected. Bliss's penthouse she called home was equipped with an indoor pool and a gym, among hundreds of other rooms; and although she was surrounded by most of her classmates, Eloise had never felt so alone.

To be fair, she had gone off to think for a good part of the party. Luckily, everyone avoided the pool for some reason, so she dipped her toes into the room-temperature water, humming quietly to herself and getting lost in thought.

She was glad, for what seemed like the millionth time, that she wasn't subject to what many poor Red Blood girls were surely experiencing tonight. Usually parties like this were perfect hunting grounds to find new familiars. For a Conduit such as herself, it was as if her chest was branded with a big red letter "C", marking her as unwanted, unable to provide blood. Conduits were mean to protect vampires, and the Sacred Kiss would cloud their judgment.

Even if she was available, it wasn't like any sensible Blue Blood would see her fit to suck on. She was too short and didn't weigh enough to give blood to the Red Cross, let alone sustain a vampire's metabolism. Aside from that, she was usually viewed as that cute little redhead and nothing more. Compared to girls like Mimi Force, she was no more than a kid, the sidekick who was only there for support.

Not that she minded. There was only one boy in her life whose opinion mattered to her, one boy whom she wished would see her as more than she was.

No matter how hard she tried, Eloise could not get the dream or the kiss out of her head. It had been so wonderful...just thinking about it let loose thousands of butterflies in her stomach. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to tell him? It was now or never, right?

But what if she scared him off? What if he told her he didn't feel the same way? What if it ruined their friendship?

He was the one who liked to hold hands. He was the one who pulled her closer each time they hugged. He was the one who looked at her in a way that made her feel as though she'd been hit by lightning.

She was reading way too much into this. She was just the cute little redhead, nothing more.

But what if she wasn't to him? What if he...

Her phone buzzed beside her, breaking her out of her thoughts. Lucy had texted her with a hurried message:

**Bliss's rents r here. Time 2 gtfo!**

Lucy must have been really worried, or otherwise she wouldn't have abbreviated all that (or used substitutes for cursing).

Eloise looked at her to-do list for her shift. Since they had more than enough workers today, she was allowed to assist anyone who needed it. She hated days like this; she didn't like asking people if they needed her help. Most of them were old, retired Conduits who always turned her down. And she also didn't like asking the Elders for work; they might as well have been talking to the dust on the floor than to a Red Blood.

She walked to the nearest bookshelf, preparing herself to double-check that the books were in order according to their call numbers. It might have been tedious, but it gave her something to do.

She heard giggling and footsteps behind her; upon turning, there was no one there. She set her jaw, not in the mood to deal with that sort of foolishness. Although it was rare to see Blue Bloods down here in the Repository - they were too busy reveling in how awesome they were - they did make appearances from time to time. And when they did, they usually didn't refrain themselves from joking about the librarians, laughing at how sad it was that they were human and not immortal.

Again came the sound of giggling, followed by shushing. Eloise gritted her teeth, about ready to go back to her desk. She would write a kindly-worded letter to the Conclave, requesting that the Blue Bloods at least show some respect for those who worked in the Repository. She knew it would go unheeded, especially coming from a young Conduit such as herself, but it would make her feel better.

A jolt went through her as she felt arms grab her around her middle. She yelped, her feet leaving the ground and the world beginning to spin. She felt breathless and vulnerable, powerless to stop whomever it was that was doing this.

Familiar laughter reached her ears, causing her cheeks to burn. "Oliver!" she scolded as he finally set her down. "We're not supposed to make a lot of noise in here. And you know I don't like it when you do that."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to give you a heart attack." He loosened his hold on her the tiniest bit.

Before she could register what she was doing, Eloise was pulling his arms back around her waist. She felt her heart stop as she placed her hands over his where they rested on her stomach.

"This I don't mind," she said quietly.

"This I can do then," he replied, softly laying his chin on the crown of her head. "I missed you this weekend, Ellie."

"I missed you, too."

They stood there for a moment, enjoying the closeness of each other. She slowly turned to face him, noting sadly that he moved his hands from her waist. It was quickly dispelled when he gently took hold of her arms instead.

She shyly met his gaze, which was intently fixed on a spot right next to her head. He was blinking, signaling that he was uncertain about something. What that something was was anyone's guess.

Just being this close to him again made her mind go blank. If she'd been thinking, she'd know to stop anything else from happening. If she'd been thinking, she'd let him know that she thought they were going too far. If she'd been thinking, she'd wiggle out of his grasp and go back to her desk.

But in that instant when she hesitated, she leaned in, standing on her toes, turning her head ever-so-slightly to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. His skin was a bit rough, but it smelled like strawberries. Why in the world did it smell like that? No matter, it was a nice smell, she'd never know he smelled like this unless she was kissing him...wait, she was kissing him. SHE WAS KISSING HIM.

Quite suddenly she felt his cheek heat up a bit, the blush softly warming her lips. _I'm making him blush. Goodness I'm making him _blush_. Oliver Hazard-Perry is blushing BECAUSE I'M KISSING HIM._

She pulled back, unable to look at him. "Sorry," she murmured.

"Why are you saying sorry?" His voice was weak, almost as if her kiss had consumed most of it.

She didn't answer him, too afraid to try and gauge his response.

He lowered his head, trying to meet her eyes. When she knew she couldn't avoid him and finally looked at him, he stood back up, giving her a small smile. "Thank you, Ellie," he said.

She didn't move, she didn't speak. She just held his gaze, blinking every so often.

He slipped his hand into hers, his smile growing. "That was very sweet, Ellie. I...I liked it."

"You did?" She said it so softly she doubted he'd heard her.

He nodded. "Of course."

Silence passed between them. They stood quietly, joined by their hands. Oliver slowly started to lean toward her, his eyes closing. She didn't question it, allowing her own eyes to fall closed, waiting patiently for him to...

"Ollie? Ollie, I think I found something!"

Oliver straightened, clearing his throat and turning to his best friend. Eloise flushed again, wishing the floor could swallow her and she wouldn't have to explain herself.

"I'm sorry..." Schuyler raised an eyebrow. "Um...Ollie, I thought you would have..."

"It's my bad. I just..." Oliver cleared his throat again. "What did you find, Sky?"

"I actually found a huge stack of books, if you wanna..." She inclined her head behind her. "Unless..."

"What are you guys looking for?" Eloise asked, wishing desperately to drop the subject.

"We think we know what killed Aggie," Schuyler said. "It most definitely wasn't an overdose."

"Then...what was it?"

Oliver gently squeezed her hand. She forgot that he hadn't let go, and she felt her heart skip.

It skipped even more when Oliver told her what they were searching for:

"Croatan."


End file.
